Friday, October 23, 2009 15:41
This week Blackberry welcomed a new addition into the fold - the Bold 9700 - which according to a Blackberry representative is "one of the best phones they've produced". You'd be forgiven for thinking the successor to the Bold 9000 was part of the Curve family, but make no mistake about it the 9700 is a Bold.
It's not quite supermodel thin, but a much slimmer physique means the 9700 is both lighter and thinner than its predecessor and noticeably smaller (for exact specs scroll down).
One of the biggest changes has to be the replacement of the trackball with the trackpad, which we have already seen on the Curve 8520. But the Bold 9700 still retains some of the first Bold's attributes - such as the leatherette back panel and fretted keyboard, but has decided to lose the metal framing on the side by replacing it with a rubber one.
There are minimal changes to the layout, but packing the new 5.0 OS (as seen on the Storm) means the 9700 is a lot snappier than it's big brother. You'll also find the same tech specs as the Bold 9000 - WiFi, 3G/HSDPA, Bluetooth, 64MHz processor, 256MB Flash Memory and A-GPS.
Blackberry Messenger has been given a tweak too. Each phone will come with a barcode unique to the handset. Using the scan mode with your camera, you scan your potential contact's barcode and just like that you become Blackberry Messenger pals - no PIN input necessary. This software is available now across the entire Blackberry range, so you don't just need a 9700 to join the instant messenger party.
So the 9700 looks considerably different - but how do the specs measure up?
Bold 9700
Dimensions: 109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm
Screen Size: 2.44-inches
Weight: 122g
Screen resolution: 480 x 360
Expandable memory: Up to 16GB (32GB when available)
Talk time: 6 hours
Camera: 3.2 megapixels
Bold 9000
Dimensions: 114mm x 66mm x 14mm
Screen Size: 2.6-inches
Weight: 133g
Screen resolution: 480 x 320
Expandable memory: Up to 8GB
Talk time: 5 hours
Camera: 2 megapixels
There's no word on what network will gets its hands on it but the Bold 9700 will be available as of the beginning of November.
And just for fun, here's an interesting Blackberry Bold 9700 fact: During testing the Blackberry Bold 9700 was dropped more than 123,000 times from different heights (30cm to 2cm) and angles, to ensure the best possible quality standard is achieved. Told you it was fun.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Do you have a favourite Bold handset? What do you think of Blackberry's decision to slim the new Bold down? Whatever your opinion, be sure to let us know. Or why not watch our hands on video.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 18:28
What do you get when you take a pretty bog standard 15.6-inch Acer laptop and throw in a 3D viewing experience? You get a laptop that's not so bog standard anymore, that's what. And Acer has pipped all other manufacturers to the post by packing its latest Aspire laptop with 3 dimensional powers.
Not satisfied with outing the dual-booting
Android and Windows 7 netbook today, Acer pulled back those curtains to reveal the world's first 3D laptop - the Acer Aspire 5738PG. So, not the catchiest name but a laptop equipped with 3D capabilities is something that could definitely catch on.
This is all down to Acer's 3D CineReal technology and a special 3D coating on the screen that enables the 3D effect, thus allowing you to enjoy your favourite flicks in the third dimension. And where there's 3D there's polarized glasses, so expect the lappy to come equipped with a few pairs of those too.
It's 3D prowess doesn't stop there. Acer's TriDef 3D Experience software makes it possible to enjoy a range of multimedia too, including images, without needing an additional graphics card. How well it'll hold up against 3D gaming is something we're keen to find out.
We'll agree, it doesn't look very exciting but testament to the theory that you can't judge a book by its cover, Acer's 3D laptop has all the qualifications for a remarkable machine.
3D technology really is the thing to look out for at the moment - we're seeing it infiltrate cinemas more and more, not to mention the fact television networks are working hard to ensure our
TV content jumps out at us in our own living rooms in the not too distant future. So it was only a matter of time before this technology came to laptops as well.
Just like the new Windows OS, Acer's 3D laptop will be landing in a retailer near you on October 22.
Love everything that is 3D? Why not take a look at out
5 things you need to now about 3D technology?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 16:27
Being the world's third largest PC vendor it's hard to think '
smartphone' when you think '
Acer'. But it appears Acer have been holding intense brainstorming sessions in an attempt to change this perspective and the end result is the Liquid smartphone.
It boasts some unique credentials, namely that it's the first Google Android handset running version 1.6 (and Acer's
first Android handset) and also that it's powered by Qualcomm's 768MHz Snapdragon processor - making it the fastest Android handset on the planet right now. But guts aside, the Liquid sports a good looking chassis coupled with a 3.2-inch high definition WVGA touchscreen.
The smartphone also packs a 5 megapixel camera complete with autofocus, ISO, self-timer and geo-tagging, giving a firm salute to its GPS capabilities.
In return for your money, Acer promises improved power management for the more intense phone users, a new user interface with easy access to the web and entertainment feature as well as an exclusive Spinlets application, which is all about access to streaming video and music which can be shared via the web.
As with most handsets Acer's Android smartphone isn't without social network capabilities and the Liquid ensures you can keep a close eye on all your pals (read: stalk) by packing Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube and Picassa integration into the address book with realtime notification of status and content updates.
There's no word on a price or availability, in fact details are pretty scant at the moment. But rest assured that as soon as Acer becomes more generous with the information we'll be sure to tell you more.
Make sure you keep an eye out for a hands-on video very soon. While you're waiting why not check out our
smartphones Top 10.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 18:04
Waaaaay back in June HTC announced it would be bringing the Sense UI to Windows Mobile. And now that Windows Mobile 6.5 is on the horizon we're beginning to see the first of what is likely to be many Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets, including this good looking offering from HTC.
Obvious comparisons aside, HTC's latest handset dubbed the HTC HD2 has a mahoosive WVGA screen estate at a whopping 4.3-inches - designed to make your internet experience as pleasurable as possible. Coupled with multi-touch or what HTC calls pinch and zoom, the HD2 provides a capacious not to mention eye-boggling browsing experience. Throw in the super speedy Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon processor and you're looking at a phone that not only has a lot of finger room but is speedy as well.
As well as a full QWERTY keyboard, there are a selection of 5 hard keys to assist you including the Windows homepage. Unlike some Windows handsets, the style of the Windows homepage doesn't differ drastically from the rest of the phone's layout and this was a conscious decision made by HTC in a bid to win over some of you Windows Mobile hating folk who are more than fed up with Windows' computer-esque layout.
Moving onto the HTC Sense user interface, which we first saw in the Hero a while back and the HD2 is a great platform for it. It continues to showcase its easy-to-use and customisable nature and the large screen only serves to make this experience more enjoyable.
There are three strands to the HTC Sense UI ethos. Firstly, it's all about 'making it mine'. So the home page features a fully customisable 3x3 grid, giving you the freedom to decide what apps and widgets go onto each of the 13 homescreens - yes, 13 homescreens. You don't need to have them all, so if 13 is a bit too much, take it down to whatever suits you.
Secondly, it's all about 'staying close' and the HD2 reinforces the idea that communication is not just about applications, emails, messages et al - it's about people. With that in mind, the HD2 has a 'favourites' option, allowing you to aggregate your contact's details in one place, not to mention being a great tool for conference calls.
Lastly, it's all about 'expecting the unexpected' and the HD2 has a few cool tricks up its sleeves. For example, when your phone rings it will detect when you pick up your handset and automatically lower the ringtone volume. Its backlight will automatically adjust to suit its surroundings as will go to sleep when you're nattering away to prevent unknowingly hanging up while you're on the phone to your mum and of course saving some juice in the process.
There are a couple of clever apps that are worth a mention: firstly, the weather app that will automatically change the time zone and weather based on where you are. Secondly is its WiFi Anywhere app. Trawling the streets for the closest WiFi hotspot is never fun, so what this clever application does is turn the HD2 into a personal WiFi point Normal 0 0 1 5 29 1 1 35 11.773 0 0 0
for your computer or other devices so you don't need to rely on Starbucks and get roped into buying a coffee along the way.
Other features include integrated FM radio, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Based on what we saw, it's simple and intuitive with great usability. The touchscreen is also responsive and quick, paving the way for a hassle free and fantastic mobile experience.
Shipping begins at the end of the month, so expect to see it in a retailer near you around the beginning of November.
And if accessories get you more excited than your average, expect a range of accessories available shortly after the phone's arrival, including a very slick looking car cradle that will automatically go into navigation and speaker mode when the phone is placed in its grasp.
Keep those eyes peeled for a hands-on video very soon.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 23:14
Pioneer held a big event at the Ministry Of Sound tonight to introudce their new DJ kit and we were excited to get our hands the Pioneer CDJ-2000. Set to go on sale in November for a pro-price of £1499, it's a seriously fully featured CD turntable that Pioneer hopes will banish laptops from the DJ booth.
The Pioneer CDJ-2000 will accept USB sticks, external hard drives and SD cards and will save the mixes you've done during your set on to them for you to review later. It works in conjunction with Record Box, Pioneer's own software which lets you grab music from your laptop and load it on to a hard drive, SD card or USB stick to hook up to the CDJ-2000.
The large 6.1in screen allows you to see any song data you want from wave forms to album art while a touch-sensitive panel called the "Needle Pad" lets you skip to specific points in the song you're playing.
The Pioneer CDJ-2000 will play nicely with Serato and Traxtor to make it easy for DJs to work together whatever their kit and will also link up to three other CDJs. Each Pioneer CDJ-2000 has its own IP address too, flagging up a seriously connected future for Pioneer kit.
As you can see, Pioneer's Record Box software is quite simple but extremely customisable, allowing you to flick very quickly though your music collection, even if it's substantial.
The Pioneer CDJ-2000 is the first in a new line of DJ devices from Pioneer, so expect to see a lot more releases from the firm soon.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:28
Pure has launched – with the help of Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell - its most radical product ever,
the Pure Sensia: a lifestyle, touchscreen DAB and internet radio that also has social networking skills.
The Sensia looks a lot like a squashed B&W Zeppelin, comes in four colours and has no physical controls. It comes with a tilting stand to allow you to have it at various angles, plus a RF remote. Changing DAB stations, streaming music from your PC or listening to one of 12,000 internet stations via Pure’s Flow tech.
The most clever feature though is being able to check your Twitter or Facebook pages – it is all done via the capacitive 5.7in touch screen. In normal use, most of the screen is taken up with the list of stations, with a box top right that you can flip with your finger to change between screens and apps. However, most apps will have the option to go full-screen
The Sensia also supports Slideshow, part of the DAB+ standard, a DAB radio capability that we’ll be seeing more of in the next year. It lets radio stations push information and pictures to compatible devices, including travel information, weather and playlists.
There is no iPod dock on the Sensia but it does have a 3.5mm input jack. The company seems to have missed a trick here, by not having a dock and allowing the screen to show videos from your iPod, or even streaming them from a media server.
When pushed on this, Pure said it didn’t want to get away from the Sensia being a radio product, but didn’t rule out video in future versions. It referenced iPods, including an aside about the new Nano now finally getting a FM radio, suggesting that everyone is getting used to using colour touchscreens to access their entertainment.
The Sensia also supports Pure’s ChargePAK battery, maing it portable. Just be careful you don’t drop it, given it’s slippery profile.
A number of apps will be available from launch, including news, Picasa, Twitter and Facebook, with more to follow. Pure will be releasing the SDK for developers later in the year. The Sensia is based on Linux.
Pure is well-known for great-sounding radios, throught its ClearSound build and software architecture, and its engineers have been working night and day to ensure the Sensia has sound quality to suit it’s high-end lifestyle looks. The acoustics at the launch were not good enough to test this theory, but Stuff recently had a sneak preview of a pre-production Sensia, and it was already sounding good then.
The Sensia launches at the end of October for £250. It will have 5 apps at launch, with more becoming available very soon, and downloadable from Pure’s online Lounge service. The cost of third-party apps for the radio, once the SDK is released, has not yet been decided.
If you're still jonesing for more information on delectable DAB radios,
do take a look at our DAB Radio Top 10, it's glorious.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 10:43
Motorola has been showing off its first Android phone, the DEXT. Its party piece is Motorola's very own Motoblur interface, which bolts onto Android just like HTC's Sense UI.
Motorola claims it will make navigating your way through the labyrinth of social networks and messages of our daily lives. It cunningly groups everything together, even pulling info from Facebook profiles to add to your contacts' information.
As usual with Android-toting handsets, you can spread your favourite apps and widgets across five different home screens. The main screen on the DEXT we tried was loaded with status update, Messages and Happenings widgets.
And this is where the Motoblur UI comes into its own – for instance, with status updates you can choose to update one or all of your statuses at the same time. Could be a bit of a timesaver when you want to tell the world just how much you enjoyed that last piece of toast. Mmm, toast.
Messages – this shows you the most recent messages you've received, again, across the spectrum of your social networks, email and text communications. The most recent ones pop up on the homescreen, and you can delve deeper into a full history.
Happenings – this shows you status updates, tweets and general social activity, and is again arranged with the latest updates easily available, and the full history available through the main menu.
Contacts – this is one of the features we really liked, and is also a stalker's dream. You can browse through content by contact, so all that person's social networking activity, and all your communication with them is displayed in the one place.
Motorola has also added a couple of other cunning features, a GPS locate function for finding a lost phone, and a remote erase function for when some thieving little %£^@$% gets his hands on your DEXT and you don't want him to get his hands on your personal data too.
But never fear, Motoblur backs up your data to its online service, so when you drop into an Orange store the next day, all teary eyed, they can load your new handset with all your old data. Genius.
It's available in October exclusively on Orange, for free on a £35/month, 24 month contract.
Look out for a full hands-on in our
video section, and take a look at the hands-on pics below.
5MP autofocus camera
3.5mm headphone jack
You can swipe through all the latest "happenings"
The Universal Inbox (top left icon) puts all your communications in the one place.
Updates and messages can be viewed by individual contact
Additional info about contacts is pulled in from linked social network profiles (bottom section on screen)
Status updates can be broadcast to all your social networking services at once.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 09:18
At the launch of its new Android-powered Internet Tablet, Archos has announced that it will be launching a full Android phone “very soon.” They showed pictures of the device, dubbed the "Phone Tablet", which will have an 854x480 pixel screen for full-width internet browsing, 3.5G and a 1GHz processor. Naturally, it will go up against the iPhone, HTC Hero, Motorola DEXT and Palm Pre. More details as we get them.
Meanwhile, we’ve had hands-on with the Internet Tablet. Archos like a bit of convergence, and this device is incredibly multi-talented. Naturally, for an Archos, it is a formidable AV device: music, movies and photos all more than catered for on its 4.8in 800x480-pixel screen.
It can also stream 720p video from your PC. Archos also announced a new music download partner, called Mewbox. It is powered by music download brand 7digital. We were not able to try the service at the launch, but will have a full report on what is a daring attempt to take on the likes of Amazon and iTunes.
Having Android built-in, along with Wi-Fi or the ability to tether the Tablet to a 3.5G mobile, makes it a net-browsing, emailing, social networking lothario.
Regrettably, the launch event was held in a hotel dungeon, with limited Wi-Fi access and mobile networks, but on the occasions we got a signal, it semed to be rendering pages pretty well, and the big on-screen keyboard was easy to use.
The Tablet will also come with sat-nav built-in, and has a microphone, so you can use it as a VOIP phone.
At home, though, is where convergence fans can really get stuck in. Buy the optional HDMI dock, remote control and Bluetooth keyboard and you can connect the Internet Tablet to your TV and use it as a kind of media PC. The device will output its Android OS and videos at up to 720p on your TV, so you can use it to surf the web, email or kick back and watch movies.
The Tablet will come in solid-state capacities from 8GB to 64GB, and hard drive capacities up to a whopping 500GB. We hefted a 32GB version, which was slim and light feeling. The 500GB version will presumably be much larger. The 8GB version will be £200, rising to £350 for the 500GB.
Look out for a full hands-on in our video section, and take a look at the hands-on pics below.
Thursday, September 10, 2009 04:37
Here's a quick hands-on with the iPod Nano 5G from Apple's iPod event in London. It's a little rough and ready but fear not, we'll have full hands-on videos for all the new iPods soon in full glorious video quality.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:48
Live updates below:
19:11 And we're running for the hands-on area. Check back imminently for video and photos. And let us know what you thought in the comments.
19:10 Nora Jones reveals the "secret passages" and says she's "bad at secrets". She just played Come Away With Me, a whistful tune from her first album. Now we've getting one from the new one, it's a guitar strummer called Youngblood. She says she's glad Steve is well.
19:06 "One of the things that really drives us is, like you, we really love music." We're getting a live performance…it's Nora Jones. Oh, they don't like music THAT much then. "It's only rock'n'roll"? Really… Oh.
19:05 It's people dancing in nice outfits colour co-ordinated with the video recording Nanos.
19:04 New colours too – polished, anodised aluminium. Lots more colours. Two models 8GB $149 and a 16GB $179. All available today. Hot dog. I am itching to get my hands on these. Here comes the ad…
19:03 If Nano is the one more thing, it looks like there's no Beatles.
19:02 And…there's an FM radio. "Finally," mutters the woman next to me. A pedometer and a voicerecorder also added. It'll also work with Nike+. Seriously crammed new kit into it.
19:01 IPod Nano, most popular music player in the world. Voiceover is being added to the Nano too and Genius Mixes are in there too.
19:00 Video goes straight in to iVideo and will post with one click to Youtube.
19:00 A fifth as thick and a tenth as large as the Flip Video. The demo video is kids jumping in to the sea from a jetty. How wholesome.
18:58 There is one more thing…it's a video camera. No-one saw that coming. Apple's going to battle the Flip. "This market's exploded and we want to get in on this." There first camera – 8GB and it's going to be…FREE. "This is the new Apple isn't it?" Video cameras will be built-in to the new iPod Nano, intergrate video recorder, speaker and microphone.
18:57 A special edition is here too. It's made of polished steel. If you like that sort of thing.
18:57 Shuffle gets 5 new colours and a 2Gb cheaper model. All shipping today.
18:56 IPod Shuffle? Time for an update to that already? "It's so easy, customers have asked us to offer more headphones." Clever way of saying – hey, customers were irritated that they were stuck with these terrible ones that come in the box. Green Day get another plug – they're not turning up are they.
18:55 iPod Classic gets bumped up to 160GB. Oh god, I want one. It'll store 40,000 songs.
18:54 There's a new iPod ad. It's got a Tommy Sparks soundtrack (She's Got Me Dancing). His accountant will be very happy.
18:51 The iPod Touch is getting a price cut down to $199 for the 8GB iPod Touch. There'll now be a 64GB iPod Touch for $399. How good will our price cut be? We'll find out for you. There's also a speed bump (50% faster) and improved graphics.
18:46 Travis Boatman, head of their mobile studio, takes the stage. "This is a game that's been around for twenty years…it's…Madden NFL". Oh. Not proper football then. Admittedly, it does have amazing graphics.
18:46 Final developer in the gaming section, EA. OK, let's see what they've got.
18:45 There's multiple weapons and the game's graphics look amazing. You can also add your own music to the game. "Listen to your own music while you're out there fragging aliens!" Dude! OK. He didn't say dude but he was definitely tempted. You can play multiplayer via Bluetooth and Wifi. It ships later this year.
18:44 Now Mark Hickey from GameLoft takes to the stage. He seems a little young to do a keynote! The game is Nova. A FPS where you fight aliens.
18:43 Will.i.am is creating custom content for the game and this month's My Gadget Life star Tiesto is making levels too.
18:41 Rhythm Ribbon – you race down the groove and need to hit the beats. He's demonstrating it with Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas. You can take turns to switch in to remixes. It looks ace. Music sounds dreadful though.
18:40 Now it's time for Tapulous. I love their rhythm game Tap Tap Revenge and it seems Phil does too. He's promising us a game that mixes music and racing. That sounds bobbins but who knows. Here's their founder, Bart.
18:39 November 11 – launch day for the Assassin's Creed iPhone game.
18:38 Ubisoft on stage. We're getting Assassin's Creed 2 content on the iPhone and iPod Touch. We knew this already. It's going to be a side scrolling platformer but it zooms in nicely to show the fights and kills close up. You can add your own face to the wanted posters using your photo library.
18:37 Phil compares the amount of games on the App Store to the ones available on the other handheld consoles. Guess what, they come out poorly.
18:34 Now he's giving props to Facebook and Twitter on the iPod Touch. And he's on to games. He's talking about the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP – "When these things came out they seemed so cool…" Serious battering being delivered to competitors today. Apple coming out with fists flying.
18:33 Phil's talking up how brilliant Safari is. Give us Flash, then it'll be the real deal.
18:32 Genius Mixes are coming to the iPod Touch too.
18:30 Apple has sold 20m iPod Touch devices. Phil waits for the clap. It comes after a while. "Why so many iPod Touchs so quickly?" asks Phil. He runs through the features. Yes, it is a great iPod Phil, we get it.
18:29 Smackdown on Microsoft: "Pulling up the rear at just 1%" Zing!
18:28 Here comes Phil Schiller to give us the skinny on iPods. Interesting to see how Jobs is pretty much just acting as MC.
"If you haven't heard," says Phil, "The iPod's been a big hit." Oh you modest swine.
18:26 There's also an "iTunes LP" style feature for videos called iTunes Extras (it's essentially DVD extras but bunged in to iTunes). iTunes 9 seems to be a smart evolution of iTunes making the bloated beast a little more useable. Nothing brain breakingly exciting. iTunes 9 is available today to download for free. Good.
18:24 He's now showing exclusive video of Ray Manzarek talking about forming the band with Jim Morrison. Wow, what a kerrazy guy!
18:23 iTunes LP: he's demonstrating with a Doors album. You get the lyrics as the song plays and there are classic photos of the band. You can flip through the images in a coverflow mode and go full screen.
18:21 There's a new navigation bar in the iTunes Store. The whole thing looks a lot more easy to use and you can preview tracks from the charts and buy therm directly from there too. There's also quick views and previews for albums from the front page. He demonstrates with Kings Of Leon. Best band of the keynote so far.
Wishlists have been added and you can share links from the store to Facebook and Twitter. There's that social media integration we were waiting for. Wishlists is the best new feature so far in my humble opinion.
18:20 You can also set it up to automatically show you what new content other libraries have added. Convenient.
18:19 Home sharing – enter you iTunes account and password and you'll get a list of computers in your home that you can share. You'll see everything including apps. He's chosen to play Coldplay. Is all of Apple this middle-of-the-road?
18:19 There's a master list of apps – click on the app name and it'll jump to the page where it is. You can also search through the apps you own. You can also rearrange whole pages moving them up and down.
18:18 Jeff Robin is up to demonstrate the new iTunes (iTunes 9). He needs to undo his top button. He's showing us how to organise your apps in iTunes. It lets you see virtual screens on your iPhone and drag them to new pages. It's going to be seriously convenient.
18:15 iTunes LP "Some of us are old enough to remember LPs…it was great," says wistful Steve. iTunes LP is a way of bundling liner notes, artwork, videos and "all sorts of stuff". This'll be that Cocktail we'd heard about then. Steve's picking seriously old school acts – Dave Matthews, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead. He says artists will be able to get involved too, so expect packages from bands imminently I'd say.
18:14 the iTunes Store is redesigned too.
18:13 New home sharing will let you copy songs across 5 authorised computers in your house. This is pretty badass. You can stream content from other libraries as now but you can now drag songs and copy them in to you library. You'll also be able to see which songs you don't have yet.
18:12 A way to sync applications and arrange them also added.
18:11 New way to sync playlist – pick artists, genres, playlists to sync. In photos, on a Mac you can now choose to sync events and particular faces. Movies – possible to pick the latest three movies and "…I always want Ratouille."
18:10 Applying the Genius tech to Genius Mixes, it's an automatic DJ which will pick songs from your playlist. It will make up to 12 stations that will continue playing songs that go well together from your library. "It's like a great DJ or radio station," says Steve.
18:09 NEW – iTunes 9. It's getting Genius Mixes. "iTunes Genius is pure genius," says Steve. People have submitted 54bn songs. The Genius database draws on that information.
18:08 Music – starting with iTunes. It's now the number 1 music retailer in the world. It's sold 8.5bn songs and has 100,000,000 iTunes accounts active.
18:07 Ringtones coming to the iTunes Store, 30,000 ringtones from the big for record labels. $1.50 in the US. OS 3.1, free download, available today.
18:06 Something new for iPhone and iPod Touch users – iPhone OS 3.1. Genius has been applied to apps in the app store. It'll now recommend apps to you just like Genius recommends songs. It does it based on what you own. There's a new button next to new and what's hot in the App Store app on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Recommendations will improve over time.
18:05 Steve is talking iPhone and apps – 30m iPhones, 1.8bn applications downloaded.
18:04 "So I'm vertical," he jokes. "Today we get to talk about music." He's got Phil Schiller and Jeff Robbins, iTunes guy, to join him.
18:03 "I'm very happy to be here today with you all. As some of you may know, 5 months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs. I wouldn't be here without that generosity. I hope we can all be that generous and become organ donors. I'd like to thank everyone in the Apple community for their thoughts and support." Jobs is back folks. People clap in London even though he can't hear them.
18:02 It's Steve Jobs!
18:00 Now seeing live footage of the stage in San Francisco. Big glowing Apple on a blue background. Nothing else doing. Fingers crossed for excitement.
17:58 "It's only rock'n'roll but we like it" says the exec as he leaves the stage. Rolling Stones now playing. Could we see an appearance from The Rolling Stones? Now that I would like.
17:45 The iPhone kiosks in Apple stores are going to be refreshed. Well, that makes sense with new iPods coming today. But what might those lovely little beasts be? Cameras, you say. Why yes. But surely something else too.
17:53 Apple stores feature "highly trained motivation consultants". For those of you following along at home, they're also known as "shop assistants".
17:52 Apple's launching an Apple Store at the Louvre in Paris. Well, now there's a reason to go to that place. Mona who?
17:49 Macbooks are super-successful too, he says, and the iPhone has 69% UK market share. Wowsa.
17:46 Gameloft have sold 6m iPhone applications.
17:44 A European Apple exec is talking about the iPhone 3GS and how successful it is. Really? I hadn't realised.
17.37 We're in the special "Live Blogging". Basically that means we've got plugs and we're stuck at the back.
17:32 We've had Mika, now we're being treated to some Euro-pop. This feels like one of those psychological war experiments from the Vietnam War.
17.19 Current music: terrible soft rock.
17.15 Sat at the Apple event, ready to bring you all the news of the new iPods, iTunes and fingers crossed, Beatles on iTunes and the Apple Tablet.
We'll be skipping down to the latest Apple event in London this evening, and you can be in on the action.
We'll be live blogging direct from the event as it happens, so check back to this blog post at 5.55pm, ready for the start at 6pm. Keep your refresh finger limber.
In the meantime, check out our Apple event rumour round-up for what we're expecting to see.
Friday, September 04, 2009 16:03
We've
heard about Toshiba and Sony's Transfer Jet 'touch to transfer' technology at IFA. Here are a few pics of it in action to tide you over until Toshiba releases its first Transfer Jet laptop in Q1 next year.
The high data transfer rate (560Mbps) and close quarters operation mean its a speedy and in theory very secure way of pinging your files around.
On Sony's stand were a number of Japanese phones already in production with Transfer Jet on board. They gave a demonstration of how you might snaffle videos from a Transfer Jet enabled kiosk like the one below. Perfect for videos of dolphins, jumbo jets and skydivers, apparently.
We almost missed it, but nestling amongst the Japanese phones was an X-series Walkman with Transfer Jet on board (see logo top centre). It was unclear as to whether it was simply a testing prototype for a future release (like the TG01 below) or just the result of a firmware upgrade.
USB add-ons are also in the pipeline such as this one for pumping pics into a Sony digital photo frame.
Here you can see the Transfer Jet logo to the left of the touchpad on a Toshiba Qosmio. That's where you slap your phone/media player etc for the transfer to start...
...as demonstrated here with a modified Toshiba TG01. We were told that the next iteration of the TG01 phone (surely named TG02 for all the counting fans out there) would come with Transfer Jet tech as standard.
Friday, September 04, 2009 14:54
Hidden away in the corner of the Panasonic stall at IFA 2009, there lurks an augmented reality toy that shows how you could end up in 3D on your TV. Using a flier with a QR code printed on it, Stuff.tv's Ironman and all-round hero Jools had his face displayed on a high-kicking 3D sprite.
A webcam perched on top of the TV, took a photo of Jool's fizzog and then read the QR code to display an animated body with it superimposed upon it.
The 3D fighter appears when the webcam detects the QR code and his size and movements are controlled by the distance the flier is from the camera. We've seen this kind of thing before but firms like Panasonic and Sony are beginning to really take augmented reality seriously.
Thursday, September 03, 2009 11:09
11:05 Philips press conference about to begin. Hippy-dippy music. A voice-over says "3D TV is the ultimate dream for consumers." My ultimate dream is a little bit more complex than that but hey ho.
11:06 Our host for this thrill ride is Andrea Ragnetti, CEO of Philips Consumer Lifestyles. He's straight in there with the obligatory reference to the "economic troubles". He also has absolutely fantastic eyebrows, he could give Noel Gallagher a run for his money.
11:07 We can expect lot of consumer lifestyle products including home appliances – there'll be blenders as much as there are TVs, 3D and Blu-ray excitements.
11:08 First announcement: the Robust kitchen appliances range. It's inspired by amateur cooks. That'll be me then. Special tool for making beans on toast?
11:09 Here's a video of Wolfgang, the chief engineer of the Robust Collection. He's very serious about blenders. In fact, he bloody loves blenders.
11:12 Home lifestyle is over now. We're on to consumer electronics. Thank the gadget gods for that.
11:13 "Truly immersive cinematic viewing experience…" here comes Cinema 21:9, Philips seriously heavyweight aspect ratio telly. It's quite a beast.
11:14 The Philips 21:9 will mean you can watch movies without irritating black bars on the screen. It'll auto-format, so 16:9 content won't look strange either.
11:19 LED backlighting and direct LED backlighting and LED Pro – boy Philips has a lot of terms for LED backlighting.
11:20 Now we're on to connectivity. New content partners for Philips Net TV. Youtube and Ebay are in there of course. But "consumers want local content" – lots of new local language services.
11:21 Net TV is on all Ambilight TVs.
11:22 New: third generation Aurea TV – thinner bezel. New: 8644 TV, 39mm thick at the fattest part.
11:23 Philips is showing a 21:9 3D TV prototype.
11:24 "3D TV is the ultimate dream for consumers." There it is again. Lots of talk about depth impression and sharpness. Third 3D TV pitch of IFA 2009. But this time, glasses are going to get poo pooed a bit. Philips is very committed to Stereoscopic research. Panasonic and Sony both love the active glasses.
11:25 Philips is working on all three methods. The prototype Philips is showing has polarised passive glasses. A little bit boring compared to the other two methods. Philips is waiting for "consumer demand" and is promising 3D Blu-ray players and TVs when people and content are ready. "It is not clear yet whether consumers are ready to watch TV with glasses." Philips is refraining from grand announcements. Ho hum.
11:26 Philips are talking about quad full HD screens. That would be eye bleedingly sharp.
11:27 A prototype for a 3D Blu-ray player is on show too. We'll get a look at it for you.
11:32 Philips HD TV link – wireless HDMI. Connect all HDMI certified devices within a range of 20M.
11:33 New Philips Go Gear player – the Philips Go Gear Muse. It's a nice looking but hardly thrilling media player. Active Noise Cancelling built-in to the player's headphones. That is cool but leave you stuck with the buds you get in the box.
11:38 Now we're on to notebook accessories and healthy life stuff. I'll keep this brief – toothbrushes, notebook cushions. SoniCare for Kids, a nice coloured toothbrush that trains children how to clean their teeth. I could probably do with one.
11:39 Philips Wake Up Light, now includes one with iPod dock. Will wake you up as the light comes up and add your music.
11:40 Philips Go Light Blue – a jetlag fighting device. I'm a bit dubious about that one.
11:41 Sex toys…seriously. He's very straight-faced about it. "Intimate massagers". I would honestly titter a bit. "The most satisfying sex toy for couples." Oh really…
11:42 Sex expert lady now telling us all why we should get a sensual massager. Apparently using one is "good for the stability of society". Right, don't riot, go home and buzz on this.
11:43 He's on to stats now, 40% of couples have used a "sex aid". Go on, admit it, YOU have haven't you.
11:49 Ends with video of 50 Cent to illustrate the capabilities of the 21:9 TV's movie style visuals. Moving from sex toys to 50 Cent – from a fake knob to a real knob in one smooth move. To make it all the more disturbing, Fiddy is dressed like a scary clown.
Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:12
09:00 There's a large mechanoid from the Avatar movie in the entrance of the Panasonic stand. Something tells me we might be seeing quite a bit of Avatar this morning.
09:02 Panasonic press conference opens with really quite painfully loud music and a quick flash through Panasonic's past product innovations. Last year's claim to fame – the 150in TV. What do they have for us this time? Well, a nice bit of 3D TV.
09:03 We're promised a very special guest from Hollywood. The perma-tanned presenter lady says she's pleased to be here too. Bless her.
09:04 New Chief Executive of Panasonic Europe, Laurent Abadie, has taken the stage. He's wearing a Britney Spears-style throat mic. If he busts out Baby One More Time, I will be his biggest fan forever.
09:05 Abadie is talking through Panasonic's business stats. Cue the obligatory reference to the "economic downturn". Panasonic number 1 in Plasma HD TVs in Europe, top in digital stills camera market. Number 1 in DVD Recorders in the UK.
09:06 Panasonic focuses its investment on R&D. Yet to see a company press conference where they don't focus their investment on R&D.
09:07 Kiki – the Japanese word for "crisis", one character is "danger" but the other is "opportunity". I get the feeling that Abadie used to be a bit of a hippy.
09:09 Panasonic is working on energy generation, energy storage and energy saving products. So lots of lovely green gadgets on the cards.
09:10 Panasonic announces Full HD 3D – workong on everything from the broadcast cameras to the Blu-ray disc media to the player, active shutter glasses and plasma TVs. So Panasonic is using active shutter glasses just like Sony. Is this going to be the future tech we'll be wearing in our houses?
09:11 Yoshiiku Miyata, senior vice president of Panasonic's AV business is on stage. He's going to tell us all about 3D. We're on to the "digital hearth" now – it's Panasonic's concept of digital kit you gather round like the camp fire in the olden days. It's a lovely bit of marketing spin plus you couldn't watch Family Guy on your open fire.
09:13 A full HD 3D label flies on to screen as the music goes EPIC. The presentation is now comparing the excitement of the moon landings to the excitement of 3D TV. Moon landings, schmoon landings. Black'n'white? Pah!
09:15 "In real life, everything is 3D but TV pictures are 2D." Next year, says Panasonic, TV will change dramatically. Panasonic uses PDP technology to capture "real" full HD 3D pictures.
09:17 Panasonic says it wants to lead the way in creating consumer standards. I wonder what Sony will have to say about that.
09:18 Two key technologies in Panasonic 3D full HD. Delivers two 1080P images, one to each eye. "3D – you will find yoursefl feeling as if you've stepped in to the screen." New TV is going to be like The Last Action Hero?
09:20 Panasonic says it will be the first brand to launch a 3D Blu-ray player and 3D HD TV. Panasonic is also pushing for its 3D standard as the…well…standard. It's also got a 3D studio lab in Hollywood which it is mighty proud of.
09:21 A series of scenarios with a viewer shoved in. Someone has gone a bit mad with their Photoshop skills. Panasonic will "deliver a new 3D world into your home. " No specifics just a lot of 3D fantasies. Expect full HD 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray players from Panasonic next year.
09:23 Here comes another Panasonic boss with news on the 3D standards. He's actually going to tell us about some products. Mamoru Yoshida, Senior Vice President, AVC Networks. He's going to give us a little bit more warmth from the digital hearth.
09:24 He's bigging up Blu-ray and reminding us that Panasonic was one of the founder members of the Blu-ray consortium. 3D format using Blu-ray, high capacity, high speed…high cost? Blu-ray players will feature the "UniPhier Engine" to process the 3D images.
09:27 Panasonic is going to launch 3D Blu-ray recorders and players as well as Viera 3D HD TVs and a 3D Blu-ray home theatre system.
09:28 Now on to Blu-ray recorders. They record and play back HD broadcasting, recordings and discs. Yep, we've got that bit. Now discussing two new players for Germany, Lucky old them. They're the DMR-BS850 (500GB) and DMR-BS750 (250GB).
09:29 Lumix cameras: G1, GH1, GF1. The Lumix G Micro System – HD movie recording, system camera changeable lens, micro-four thirds.
09:32 The Lumix GF1 is announced, world's lightest HD system camera. A real Micro-four thirds beauty. Aluminum, comes in 4 colours. Records in 720p HD, new lenses. Has built-in pop-up flash and has an optional attachable live viewfinder – that's one up on the
Olympus Pen EP1 which only has an analogue additional view finder.
09:36 Panasonic says "full HD 3D system is the next step." Here comes the very special guest and given that Avatar ads are everywhere I predict…James Cameron. Oh my heart will go on…
09:37 "Content is king" says presenter-bot. Oh it sure is. Come on, bring on Jim won't you. "Academy award winner, producer of blockbusters including Titanic…" Oh so it's not Jim, it's his producer.
09:38 Trailer for Avatar. It looks pretty badass. Robot suits, blue skinned aliens, battles, monsters. Bit creepy with the dreadlocked blue skinned aliens kissing – slightly like some form of mad specialised pron.
09:40 It's Jon Landau. He's also got his throat mic on. Please give us a chorus of Toxic. He fell in love with Panasonic's portable DVD players. He's giving a little homily for how excellent Panasonic are. How nice of him.
09:41 Avatar is "a story redemption." It's about morals, redemption, it's about "ideas for life." It's a film like… but with some 3D stuff.
09:43 "On Titanic, there were practical world solutions we had to come up with to make the movie. When we embarked on Avatar, the technology didn't exist. We had to create it. Jim [James Cameron] has been dabbling with 3D in his documentaries but there is nothing more immersive than the 3D…3D is the cherry on top of the entertainment experience."
09:44 Jon Landau thinks "Panasonic was the right choice. Even before we started working with them we were using their equipment." Jon Landau reveals that Ubisoft is building the Avatar game to be 3D compatible.
09:45 Jon Landau: "3D will evolutionise the movie viewing experience." That's the word of the day so far. Evolutionise! We're going to get out there and take a look at Panasonic's 3D kit. Landau and the Panasonic bosses have all donned the specs. It's like Men In Black remade by bored office workers.
09:47 We're going to go and check out the Panasonic full HD 3D prototype now and see the Ubisoft game too.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 16:03
16:00 With 3D glasses in hand, ready to see Sony's new 3D TVs and whatever else they've got to reveal for us. Glasses are actually quite snazzy.
16:02 Kasabian soundtracking a clip reel of flashy film clips ending with a heavy breathing Cristian Bale. Now Fujio Nishida, President of Sony Europe, has taken to the stage. He's talking about economic uncertainty. Less of that, more 3D TVs please!
16:04 Sir Howard Stringer, Sony's big boss, takes to the stage. What a lovely avuncular chap he is. He's a big IFA fan apparently. More global economic crisis chat. "We couldn't anticipate the turmoil that would force us to evaluate everything we do…maybe the worst is over but we know we need to work harder." He's on business stuff – restructuring the company and all that jazz.
16:06 Sony Ericsson's new President, Bert Nordberg, is set to come on stage as well as other senior guys from Sony. Expect phone news as well as TVs and more.
16:08 The number of 3D cinema screen has increased by over 30% this year. 7000 screens by end of 2010.
16:09 Stringer is talking about Sony's 3D cinema projectors. Now making reference to 3D in the home. Now talking about Cloudy With Meat Balls the 3D film. We're going to watch it in 3D using the Real D glasses.
16:11 It's impressive but slightly blurry for someone like me who has bad eyes and uses glasses normally. Looks like I'll need contacts to really enjoy these films.
16:12 Burgers come flying out of the screen at us followed by a massive spaghetti storm.
16:13 There will be full HD Bravia TVs, 3D support on PS3 and Blu-ray. Sky gets a mention as a firm planning 3D TV. Doesn't look like those stories about Sony not playing nice with Sky are true.
16:14 Now seeing FIFA Football shown in 3D, impressive footage of fish swimming towards us and Mororstorm Pacific Drift in 3D. Even on such a massive screen the visuals feel very immersive.
16:16 The new Bravia will be 1080P and 3D. Stringer has now moved on to talking Playstation, the new Playstation 3 and the Playstation Network. There are now 26m Playstation Network accounts. The video service in the US is…well…huge. It'll now launch in November in Spain, France and the UK. It'll feature "hundreds of titles" at launch. You'll be able to download for rental to PS3 and PSP and share downloads between them. All the big studios are involved as well as local content.
16:19 The Playstation Network is coming to more of Sony's devices. Now Stringer's introducing something new. This is his "one more thing". Make.believe – it's a "global brand message". Hmmm…sounds cool. "It's where inspiration meets creativity, where creativity meets reality" where ad men meet sentences that go on to long.
16:21 We're seeing a new Sony ad with a "space, the final frontier feel", Sony products connecting with each other in a pastel coloured abstract world. I wonder if they've slipped something in the bottles of Vaio water.
16:23 "Sony is in the midst of a pivotal change." Well, Sir Howard sounds excited.
16:24 Right, here they come: new products set for Europe this year. Here comes the tasty stuff.
16:25 Fujio Nishida is talking about the popularity of video sharing sites like Youtube. 76% of European internet users watch video online, more than 70% say they watch less TV as a result. He's now talking about "catch-up TV"
16:26 "Watching long form TV programmes on a PC is an unsatisfying experience. They're intended for the lean back attitude of watching the TV…" Looks like we're getting a way to deliver iPlayer to your living room TV.
16:27 Early 2010, Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home entertainment systems to get Bravia Internet Video built in to the X-Media bar. Catch-up TV services will be brought straight to the your TV – including services from Channel 5 and the BBC (iPlayer). Internet services like Youtube will be included too.
16:29 From early next year, Bravia TVs will also include triple HD tuners – Freesat, Freeview and more. To maximise the benefit of catch-up TV, Blu-ray players will have built-in WiFi.
16:30 Now new camcorders and cameras – Cybershot TX1 and Cybershot WX1. We're being reminded about sweep panorama – creating a panorama in 1 second with fast shooting. The Party Shot has just made an appearance too – our favourite creepy automatic tripod.
16:34 Now talking about the Alpha 500 and Alpha 550. The Alpha 850 is the new pro-am camera.
16:35 On 22nd September, Sony is staging a global event called twilight football as twilight moves across the world, seven football matches will begin. Twilight, a canvas for shots taken with Sony's new cameras.
16:36 Time for the obligatory environmental section of the presentation. Sony's Eco credentials are winged through. All Sony sites powered by renewal energy. Pretty impressive.
16:38 Sony is investing in future eco technologies and is involved in lots of charity projects including a street football initiative.
16:40 Now we're reminded of Sony Ericsson's eco-phones and plans to make its handsets more eco friendly.
16:41 The new Sony Xperia X2 is announced! It will feature Windows 6.2. Outlook synch, edit Office documents on the go, TV Out socket. 8.1MP camera, finger-friendly internet browsing, Walkman music player. On sale from Q4.
16:42 Sony Reader chat now. We've seen the two new Readers for the UK last week – the Reader Pocket Edition and Reader Touch Edition. Sony says its introducing them to us now but they feel like old (slightly disappointing) friends already.
16.45 Running through the Walkman range now.
16:46 Now a preview of the Vaio X Series – a Macbook Air killer in the making – 14mm thick, less than 700g, ultra-light, built in 3G and apparently "exceptional built quality" with a carbon fibre shell. A range of battery options. Sony predicts it'll last all day and well into the night. We'll see about that.
16:47 The Vaio X Series brings the press conference to an end. Much more than just the 3D TVs we knew we were getting. X Series extremely exciting as is 3D Playstation games. Look out for hands-on pics with as many things as we can get our grubby mits on.
